Inside Dallas Wings Training Camp: Carrington Leading Defensive Focus, Offense Adds Intriguing Layers

As the Dallas Wings ramp up preparations for the 2025 WNBA regular season, Thursday’s practice strongly emphasized defensive principles, focusing on pick-and-roll and handoff coverages.

A key theme during the practice was hedging—executing it cleanly and ensuring that the team’s terminology and communication were fully aligned. Coaches emphasized recognizing gray-area reads depending on how opposing offenses look to counter, while instilling the habits needed to rotate and recover effectively. Offensively, there has been a continued emphasis on maximizing possessions by reducing turnovers.

“For me, defensively, it’s about being in our gaps early and showing bodies,” said DiJonai Carrington. “We’ve had too many turnovers the last few days, including in the exhibition, so we’re focusing on making simple plays.”

The reigning WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year is coming off a strong season, averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals for the Connecticut Sun. Carrington’s 2024 campaign earned her an All-Defensive First Team spot. She finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and is widely respected for her ability to take on top perimeter scorers — credentials that now anchor a Wings defense undergoing a complete transformation.

Switching Situations and Small-Ball Flexibility

For Teaira McCowan, who anchors the interior at 6-foot-7, switching screens is not currently preferred. Instead, the Wings are looking to funnel drives toward her, allowing guards to apply full ball pressure and navigate screens up top. That defensive philosophy relies on McCowan’s rim protection while leveraging the Wings’ deep group of perimeter defenders to contain the ball and fight through actions.

Still, versatility remains a cornerstone of the Wings’ identity. With small-ball lineups featuring NaLyssa Smith or Myisha Hines-Allen at the five, Dallas has shown a willingness to switch 1-through-5. On Thursday, coaches stressed the importance of early help and weak-side rotations — especially in switch-heavy scenarios — to prevent bigs from being isolated against quicker guards without support.

“That’s 100% necessary,” Carrington said. “You can win playing the same style all year, I guess, but it’s hard. Players in this league are too good to guard the same way for 40 minutes. We’ve got mobile post players who can hedge out on the perimeter and still recover back to the block. I’m excited for us to put it all together.”

The defensive buy-in has been noticeable across the board, with star players embracing their roles regardless of coverage, whether hedging, switching, or fighting over screens.

“We’re all competing for spots,” Carrington added. “Everyone’s trying to define their role and figure out what’s expected of them.”

Aziaha James, DiJonai Carrington Embrace Pressure and Communication

For rookie Aziaha James, the transition to WNBA schemes is already yielding lessons.

“I feel like I’m starting to understand how to navigate screens more — learning when to go over or under and how to read them,” James said. “Fighting through screens is tougher, too.”

At NC State, James averaged a career-high 17.9 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in her senior season. She has been a standout in training camp — not only did she impress with 10 points and three assists in her preseason debut against the Las Vegas Aces, but she’s also been a consistent source of energy and defensive impact throughout camp.

“I feel like I play with grit — and this whole team has that dog mentality,” James said. “We’re fighting on every possession, getting over every screen, and hyped to get every win. I love that about us.”

James praised the environment as one that encourages constant improvement.

“We all talk to each other and motivate each other,” she said. “They let me know if I’m doing something wrong and how to fix it. That kind of support really helps.”

Carrington echoed that sentiment: “This is a new role for me, stepping into more of a leadership position. I’ve been able to lead by example in the past, but now I’m being asked to be more vocal.”

That push is coming directly from the coaching staff. Head coach Chris Koclanes previously worked with Carrington in Connecticut, where he was known for his defensive detail and player development. In Dallas, he’s charged with reshaping a Wings defense that finished last in defensive rating in 2024.

“This is a team that wants to be challenged,” Carrington said. “That’s where it starts — defense.”

Dallas Wings Continue Building the Half-Court Offense

Offensively, the Wings continued building their half-court structure with multiple layers of pick-and-roll concepts. A focal point Thursday was the implementation of Stack pick-and-roll, a layered action involving a back-screen followed by a ball screen. Arike Ogunbowale has frequently served as the back-screener in these sets, while Paige Bueckers operates as the ball-handler. When the initial back-screen isn’t used, Ogunbowale often flares to the perimeter as a release option, creating opportunities for second-side action.

“It opens things up a lot,” Carrington said of playing alongside Ogunbowale and Bueckers. “Arike draws so much attention — I know that from being on the other side. Paige has great court vision and patience. When the ball’s in her hands, you know she’ll make the right read.”

At times, the motion serves as a decoy to get Ogunbowale a step-up screen from the big, while Bueckers drifts weak-side — a setup designed to neutralize nail help and create space for an isolation or attacking read.

The team also drilled Ram screens, involving a down screen for a player who then sets a ball screen. With Bueckers and Ogunbowale commanding defensive attention, Dallas can use either as a decoy to scramble defenders and open up secondary actions.

“Once you respect them as screeners, that just makes it easier for them to get open as well,” Carrington said.

Many of Dallas’ offensive looks on Thursday came out of spread principles. Instead of placing the big in the dunker spot, the Wings brought the center higher, typically to the free-throw line or above, allowing more space to operate and more angles for guards to attack or distribute.

Koclanes has introduced a free-flowing offensive structure, encouraging read-and-react decision-making over rigid play calls. The arrival of Bueckers has added balance and fluidity, giving Dallas another high-IQ connector to pair with Ogunbowale.

Earlier in training camp, the Wings installed foundational half-court concepts, including Horns sets, double staggers, and Zoom action — each layered into the team’s evolving structure.

DiJonai Carrington’s Role Expands on Both Ends

Carrington believes her role in the offense is expanding. While she will have plenty of chances to make plays within the flow by attacking closeouts, setting screens, and cutting, she has a real runway to expand her impact as a scorer and playmaker.

“I think I’m more confident with the ball in my hands,” she said. “I’ve always been a good cutter and moved well off the ball, but now I feel more comfortable handling it too. Last year I was mostly spacing in the corner and setting screens, which I’ll still do, but now I’m also being pushed to look to score and be more involved in the halfcourt offense.”

Carrington’s competitive edge and defensive leadership continue to set the tone as the Wings inch closer to their season opener.

“I’m going to be the head on the defensive side,” she said. “That’s where it starts. Everyone’s going to have off nights shooting or not get the calls, but the one constant we can control every night is our defense.”

Dallas acquired Carrington in a blockbuster four-team trade during the offseason, along with NaLyssa Smith and Tyasha Harris. With just three players returning from last season’s roster, the Wings are building chemistry from the ground up. And that starts with setting the defensive tone.

More Dallas Wings Articles

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